Cornwall Colts, Poissant on a roll in CCHL play

If you're looking to find Tristan Poissant, check the opposition net - he's often in the area. Poissant (7), seen in last week's home game against Brockville, was named the CCHL's first star for the month of November. Photo in Cornwall, Ont. Robert Lefebvre/Special to the Cornwall Standard-Freeholder/Postmedia NetworkRobert Lefebvre / Robert Lefebvre/Special to the Standard-Freeholder

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Earlier in the week, the Colts found out that goalie Michael Carr had been named the CCM Hockey Player of the Week.

Carr, 20, of Columbus, Ohio, during the win streak has recorded a 2.25 goals against average, a .940 save percentage and 110 saves on the 117 shots faced.

And, in Hawkesbury on Tuesday night, Cornwall forward Jeremy Quesnel scored three times and was named the CCHL player of the game, in a 6-1 exhibition game victory over the visiting Berlin U20 squad from Germany.

And, Poissant was named the Gongshow Gear first star of the month, for November. He sizzled offensively, scoring 10 goals in 14 games, and being named first star on four occasions.

Poissant, 18, of Les Coteaux, Que., about 35 minutes east of Cornwall, leads the Colts this season with 17 goals and 12 assists for 29 points in 33 contests.

But like the team did, Poissant struggled early in the campaign.

“I had to adapt to a new league, (and) the coaches were evaluating players,” said Poissant, who last year for his first season of junior A hockey crossed the border but moved far from home, skating for the Espanola Express in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League, where he had 24 points (nine goals) in 39 contests.

Not bad, but not nearly good enough for Poissant, who aspires to play at the NCAA Division I level some day.

“With the year I had, I wanted to switch (leagues), I wanted to get closer to home,” he said. “I think this is a better league (than the NOJHL).”

But during the summer recruiting process, Colts head coach Ian MacInnis didn’t get much of an opportunity to see Poissant on the ice, as the forward was nursing a hand injury. In fact, MacInnis said on Wednesday he saw Poissant skate only once, before the coach went overseas to Russia for that world invitational junior event.

Ultimately, the Colts would trade for the rights to Poissant, and looking back, MacInnis sure is glad he did.

“I haven’t coached anybody who’s as fast as he is,” MacInnis said. “When you think you’ve seen him at top speed, he shows another gear. He’s got real high-end speed, and he’s skilled enough that he can see things (on the ice even) at his speed.”

Both MacInnis and Poissant these days are very pleased, about how the team is gelling, and winning.

“In this league, anybody can beat anybody,” Poissant said. “We don’t have as many points as some teams, but I think we can go very far in the playoffs.”

In other league news, 10 players from the CCHL will represent Canada East at the annual World Junior A Challenge coming up next week, and the list includes Ottawa Jr. Senators veteran defenseman Adrien Bisson, who’s from Cornwall.